The Original Comic That Started It All
If you want to know what spore of madness spawned Bowsette, the latest and weirdest fad on the Internet, look no further than ayyk92’s original comic. This Malaysian artist took the Super Crown powerup from the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe to its logical conclusion: what if Bowser could use the crown. Behold, mortals, and tremble beneath the heels of the Internet’s newest flavor of “Why is this a thing?”
You Are Bad Guy, but This Does Not Mean You’re Bad *Guy*
After ayyk92’s first Bowsette image became more popular than Raptor Jesus, the artist felt the urge to follow it up with a cute little reference to the best video game movie ever: Wreck-It Ralph. We all remember the Bad-Anon scene where Ralph visits a meeting filled with iconic video game villains such as Dr. Eggman, Bowser, and M. Bison. It’s the one where Zangief tells Ralph that even though everyone at the meeting may be villains, they ain’t bad guys. Well, Bowsette takes that claim to its most literal extreme since she’s no longer a bad guy but a bad girl. Or is she still really a guy? It’s hard to keep your pronouns straight in this situation.
One-Punch Bowsette
Given Bowsette’s literal overnight success, of course, word of her existence would reach the shores of Bowser’s home country, Japan. And many a Japanese manga artist has taken a stab at Bowsette, including Yusuke Murata. As in the man who gave ONE’s webcomic One-Punch Man new life and received the acclaim of audiences worldwide. True to his style, Murata’s take on the new characater is epic and vicious, complete with an “if looks could kill” smile. I want this Bowsette to make a special guest appearance in the upcoming second season of One-Punch Man.
Genzoman’s Bowsette
While we are on the subject of professional artists, I have to mention Gonzalo Ordonez Arias, aka. Genzoman. The man has a portfolio overflowing with intricate and eye-catching drawings. If you’ve read UDON’s Street Fighter comics or own the special edition of Street Fighter X Tekken, you’ve seen his work. And since Genzoman loves drawing video game characters, of course, he would draw Bowsette. Granted, this version wears slightly less than most other Bowsettes, but you have to admit there’s something about Genzoman’s rendition that won’t let you look away. I think it’s the lovely shading.